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National market update

Existing-Home Sales Rise Again in January, Inventory Down

Washington, DC, February 22, 2012 - Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said strong gains in contract activity in recent months show buyers are responding to very favorable market conditions. "The uptrend in home sales is in line with all of the underlying fundamentals – pent-up household formation, record-low mortgage interest rates, bargain home prices, sustained job creation and rising rents.” More...
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Existing home sales ()

Existing home median price ()

Housing Starts ()

New home sales ()

National economic indicators

Home ownership

4th Qtr 11

66.0%

3rd Qtr 11

66.3%

The homeownership rate in the fourth quarter 2011 (66.0 percent) was lower than the fourth quarter 2010 rate (66.5 percent). The homeownership rates in the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West were not statistically different from their corresponding fourth quarter 2010 rates.

New home sales

Jan 12

-0.9%

Dec 11

+1.9%

Sales of new single-family houses in January 2012 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 321,000. This is 0.9 percent (+/- 16.6%)* below the revised December 2011 estimate of 324,000.

Source: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

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Regional market updates

View market statistics for your region.

Click on the links below to view data from two different industry sources. Choose information on local prices & state sales from any of 178 metropolitan housing markets prepared by the National Association of REALTORS® or information on sales & price activity from local area markets in 25 states prepared by Clarus MarketMetrics.

Local Sales & Price Activity

Judy Berno

Home Ownership matters…to people, to communities, and to America. Why? • For every two homes sold, one job is created in the U.S. • Each purchase generates as much as $60,000 in economic activity over time. Read more

Buying is now cheaper than renting in 74 percent of the nation’s largest cities. Low home prices and “rock-bottom” interest rates as well as tax advantages of homeownership are the reasons why it’s now cheaper to BUY a 2-bdrm home than to rent one. Check out this CNN Money article with the details. Read more

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, statements and/or ideas expressed in this Message Section do not reflect the ideas, policy, position, views or opinion of Move,Inc.

Consumer tips & hot properties

Simple Tips to Increase Your Home's Curb Appeal

Have you been wanting to change the look of your house but aren't sure what you can do to increase your curb appeal? Handyman Connection, one of the largest networks of home repair and remodeling contractors in North America, has released a few home improvement ideas to help you enhance the street view of your home. More...
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7 Best Remodeling Projects for the Money

Planning your remodel and want to make sure you’re spending your hard-earned cash wisely? Each of these replacements and upgrades earned top honors in Remodeling magazine’s latest Cost vs. Value Report* for having the biggest bang for your buck — giving you the best return on your home improvement dollar while preserving the value of your home. More...
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How to Claim Your 2011 Energy Tax Credits

They’re not as much as they used to be, but there are still energy tax credits to be had for upgrades made in 2011. More...
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What You Need to Know About Buying a Home Security System

Everyone wants to protect their home, their property, and most of all, their families. In fact, market research suggests the home security business is growing at a rate of about 9 percent a year. But home security systems are not all alike. More...
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Considering Retirement Communities? Top 10 Picks

If continuing the Good Life means good access to medical care and housing affordability, here are the Top 10 cities to consider retiring to. They focus on lifestyle with strong balance between outdoor recreation, cultural and educational institutions. Being close to a good airport and good public transportation head up the "Wants". More...

Housing Trends eNewsletter is filled with U.S. Census Bureau key market indicators, consumer videos, blogs, a real estate glossary, mortgage rates and calculators, consumer articles, real estate radio, realtor.com® local community reports and local and national real estate sales and price activity provided by local MLSs and the National Association of REALTORS®.

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